


All we do is Drive

by TheBestLiars



Category: I Am Not Okay with This (TV 2020), IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Crossover, Drinking game: take a shot every time I name a book after a Halsey song, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Edith Tozier is my pride and joy, F/M, M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon Fix-It, Stanley Uris Lives, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBestLiars/pseuds/TheBestLiars
Summary: "California never felt like home to me until I had you on the open road."[In which a troubled girl falls for the quirky boy.]{ Post IT Chapter 2 / I Am Not Okay With This AU crossover short series , everyone lives , also on Wattpad under the username : TheQueenlyWriter }
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Stanley Barber/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. My Hands, Wrapped Around a Stick Shift

**The first time Edith Tozier sees Stanley Barber, it's when the Tozier's move to Brownsville, Pennsylvania.**

Edith supposed she'd miss Los Angeles. The heat, the beaches.

But school? Her friends? Fuck that shit.

School can suck her dick for all she cared. As for her friends...she didn't have any. That didn't bother her, of course. She preferred being alone, headphones in and writing away in her journal.

But she guessed a fresh start was needed. Even though it was well over a year since they got attacked by a demonic clown. God, what would her therapist think if Edie were to say that to her? Off her fucking rocker, that's what.

But it happened. She swore on her life it did. And boy did it fucking fuck up her already fucked up mental health afterwards.

The nightmares were constant. Horrifying ones where Eddie did die, or where it was her father instead. The ones where she was screaming from the top of her lungs when it was over, unable to even be calmed down by both of her dads.

Her already infamous short-temper grew even shorter. If anyone said anything, the younger Tozier would snap and practically attacked them. She only never got expelled because of the fact that she had dirt on the principal and had no problems blackmailing him.

In fact, her having control made her feel...better. In some weird way. She couldn't control the nightmares, but she could control the fact that she couldn't be expelled.

And it probably didn't help that she stopped taking her meds and didn't tell anyone. Her manic and depressive episodes grew even worse after that. Edith bottled everything up until she finally exploded.

And eventually, she did.

Destroying her entire room with a bat, punching the mirror despite her bleeding fists, screaming and sobbing and thrashing as her dad tried holding her.

She wished she could make her dad and Eddie's life better by just being normal and get over it.

Most of all, she wished that she could just allow herself to fully be open with the both of them. She knows what they've been through, and that they and their friends faced that clown twice. They would understand and listen to everything she had to say

But no. She had to be a hard ass and keep her mouth shut because she didn't know how to swallow her pride.

She really was her daddy's daughter.

And Edith guessed that's why they were in a small town called Brownsville. It had a weird eighties vibes about it, but she didn't seem to mind. That much.

"Edie, why don't you go explore the town? Ya know, see what's around." Her dad offered, grabbing one of the boxes from the trunk.

"Hard pass." Was Edith's response, fiddling with the zipper of her black leather jacket for a moment before she grabbed a smaller box and followed her dad into their new house.

It was nice, she'd admit. Better than their apartment. Sure it was still a bit small, but it seemed to have a more homey feel to it. Close. Maybe once they were settled, it'll feel more like a home.

"You know, you make friends by actually leaving your room." Her dad reminded her, pointing out the fact that she really only left the house in LA for school. She wouldn't even see or feel daylight during the weekend.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Who said I need friends when I've got you Losers?" Edith asked with a quiet giggle, putting the box on the kitchen counter and huffing a stray curl from her eye.

Her dad shot her a smile. "As sweet as that is, you still need more friends. Your own age."

"Why? Because you guys are so old that you're decaying? Gonna throw your back out, old man?" The teenager snorted, ignoring her father's offended gasp and how Eddie laughed at her joke as she went back outside to the car.

Edith still had an amused smile dancing on her lips as she skipped back to the car. She grabbed one of her boxes, marked in her shitty writing "THE SUPERIOR TOZIER'S SHIT", when her green eyes caught something...odd.

A tall boy, around her age. That wasn't the weird part, no. Not even the bright yellow cardigan he was wearing along with the khaki pants. But the fact that he was just...dancing around the middle of the empty street with shades over his eyes.

She couldn't tell if he had headphones in, but it was still an odd sight seeing some teenager dancing by himself and being barefoot.

Maybe he was on drugs?

Yeah. Yeah, that could be it. He did look so carefree and happy despite being alone.

She needed to take whatever the hell he was taking.

Edith was too distracted looking at the odd boy before noticing that he was looking back at her until it was too late.

Neither of them moved for a second and the trashmouthing teenager was about to go back inside the house with the box until the boy waved at her. She paused for a moment before awkwardly waving back, unable to hold in the giggle she let loose when he mock bowed in front of her.

"Edie!" Eddie's sudden voice caught her off guard, nearly dropping the box before whirling around to face her stepdad.

"Yeah?" She asked, hoping to god that were cheeks weren't burning pink.

Thankfully, Eddie didn't seem to notice. "We're gonna order takeout, what are you feeling for?"

"Pizza!" She didn't hesitate to reply, making her stepdad snort under his breath.

"Why am I not surprised? C'mon, let's take a break." He responded and she found herself looking over to where the boy was. He wasn't there anymore, but she shrugged and walked back toward Eddie with the box still in her hands.

"There better be some pepperoni on there, or I'm raging." She stated, making Eddie laugh as they walked back inside.

Okay, so maybe Edith had a weird and crazy neighbor now. But at least he was cute.

Maybe this town had some perks. 


	2. Swerving on the 405, I can Never Keep my Eyes Off This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edith officially meets Stanley and has no plans on being friends...but Stanley didn’t seem to get that memo.

**The first time Edith Tozier officially meets Stanley Barber, it's her first day of school in the new town.**

It was a week since she moved in and was back at it with hiding away from the world in her room. Or the living room. But she didn't dare step foot outside the house.

It's not like she hated people. She just...yeah, she hated people. Especially after the clown incident. Being around people just made her anxious and uncomfortable. She didn't understand how she was so comfortable with the Losers yet turned into a shell of a girl when in all of her classes.

But she didn't need to make friends. Just get in and get out. Keep her head down and ignore everyone and everything. Mind her own business because lord knows that if someone tried to mess with her, they'd end up with quite a few broken bones.

Edith just wished she could stay in the safety of her own home, with her two dads who loved her, her journal and her headphones. Just block the world and stay in her safe bubble with the ones who understood her.

But no. School had to wriggle its way in her life and fuck everything up.

Fantastic.

"You got everything you need?" Her dad asked Edith once they parked in front of the school, the younger Tozier now fiddling with the strap of the backpack between her knees.

"Mmhmm. Pretty sure." She mumbled, fidgeting some more until her dad placed his hand over hers.

"Sweetie...it's gonna be okay. I know it's scary being in a new school in a new town, but it'll be okay. If you're feeling...anxious or upset, call me and I'll come racing over to pick you up." Her dad told her in reassurance, his eyes soft as Edith started to relax under his gaze and nodded.

She probably would end up calling him. She could feel her anxiety flare up just at the thought of interacting with other students and teachers.

But hell, it wasn't Edith's fault that she happened to be wired where she was more comfortable with a group of forty-one year olds than kids her own age.

Why the fuck did she have to be so weird? Why couldn't she be normal?

"I'll be fine." Edith insisted with a little smile despite how she truly felt, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. She didn't need to worry her dad over her own stupid feelings.

Her dad smiled, adjusting his thick lensed glasses before ruffling her curls as she giggled. "Alright, head on out there. Don't kick anyone's ass. But if you do, don't get caught." He winked and she smirked.

If anyone allowed Edie to kick bullies' asses, it was her dad.

He was so cool!

"Aye aye, Captain!" She gave him a mock salute, giggling before getting out of the car and swinging her backpack over her shoulder. She looked toward the high school like it was Mount Everest, took a deep breath and walked forward.

Edith trudged to the school, keeping her head down. Some curls were over her eyes, tickling her eyelashes but she didn't bother moving it. Get in, get out. She just needed to keep her head down and her mouth shut.

God knows chaos only ensues once she opens her mouth.

Not only was she a trashmouth like her father, but she could chew someone and spit them back out and leave them in tears from her sharp words.

Someone should just sew her damn lips shut and maybe she could be normal then.

Edith fiddled with the zipper of her black leather jacket with one hand, the other reaching into her ripped jean's pocket for her schedule. She was reading it quickly, occasionally looking up to see if she was going in the right direction before she heard a voice behind her. "You're new here, right?"

The curly-haired girl stiffened, turning around quickly at the teenager boy and had to relax her fist-she didn't even realize she had curled her hand into a fist, subconsciously prepared to punch someone just three minutes in.

"Uhhh...yeah. I am." Edith said simply, nodding stiffly before she continued walking.

Unfortunately, the boy followed next to her like a puppy. "Welcome! What classes do you have, maybe I can show you around?" He offered but she didn't bother looking at him.

"Are you always offering to help the newbies?" She retorted, now looking straight ahead and no longer at the ground but still not facing the boy.

"It doesn't hurt to offer help. And besides, you are my new neighbor. I live a few houses away from yours." She faltered before finally looking at the boy.

Sure enough, it was the boy she saw on her first day in Brownsville. Except he traded in his white shirt and yellow cardigan for a blue sweater. It was a nice color on him, but she wouldn't dare admit it.

Edith nodded, her slender fingers fidgeting with her schedule. "Right. You're that kid who was dancing on the middle of the road like some dude on LSD with a death wish."

The taller boy chuckled softly, holding a finger up. "It was weed, not LSD. I'm not that much of a stoner yet."

She couldn't help but to snort. "'Yet'?" She repeated, her green eyes now holding amusement.

The grin he was wearing somehow managed to grow larger. "Gotcha to smile!"

Edith hadn't even realized she was smiling but tried to stop, crossing her arms over her chest. Will this boy just go away? She wasn't interested in friends!

"I'm Stanley Barber, nice to meet you." He suddenly said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

For a moment, she didn't move, just eyed his hand before hesitantly shaking it.

It felt almost like she just made some pact with the devil.

"Edith. Edith Tozier, people call me Edie. Aaaaand it's nice to meet you too, I guess."

The curly-haired boy—Stanley—shook her hand enthusiastically before letting go. "Well, welcome to high school, where it is literally hell!"

"That explains so much already." She responded casually, earning a laugh from the boy beside her.

"What class do you have first? M-maybe I can walk you there." Stanley offered, almost hesitantly and she found herself giving in by showing him her schedule.

He read her schedule quickly before grinning. "We have a few classes together, including the first one." He said excitedly.

Okay. Just a few classes. Doesn't mean she has to be friends with him. Just...classmates. "Lead the way, Barber." Edith responded and he nodded, still smiling as he walked toward their first class together.

She really didn't want to be friends. She didn't. But throughout first period, he did nothing but crack jokes about the subject and the teacher, sliding notes with random doodles of their teacher with a balloon sized head getting his leg eaten by a jellyfish.

It took everything Edith had in her not to get in trouble by bursting out laughing. But she couldn't help the giggles and snorts that slipped her lips, covering her mouth with her hand as Stanley grinned each time he heard a laugh from her.

What could she say? Laughter was the quickest way to her heart. And food. And coffee. All of those worked too.

As the day went by, Stanley walked her to class, even the ones he didn't share with her. But when Edith sat alone in classes they didn't have together, she couldn't help but feel tired and bored. She was a shell again, her head down and blocking the rest of the world.

Lunch couldn't come any slower, but it finally did, the short girl's stomach growling ravenously. She walked to the cafeteria with her own lunch-god forbid Eddie let her eat that horrid school lunch that had no nutritional value whatsoever-when she heard a voice call out her name.

"Edie! Over here!" She spotted Stanley in one of the benches in the corner, alone. Maybe that's why he was so interested and invested in being her friend. Maybe he didn't have any either.

Oh, what the hell!

"Creaming your pants just at the sight of me, Barber?" Edith asked in amusement, sitting down in front of him on the bench with a playful smirk.

He raised an eyebrow from her words, smirking back. "Look atcha! Never knew you had such a dirty mind!"

"My dad's friends call him Trashmouth. They call me Trashmouth two point oh. It's literally our thing." She responded before pulling out her ham sandwich, taking a bite out of it.

"I guess I'm gonna have to talk to you more to see how much of a Trashmouth you are." Stanley retorted, leaning his elbows as he grinned.

And with that, they talked. They talked and laughed and told each other dirty jokes until they didn't even eat their lunch and it was over. Even then, they walked to class smiling and talking nonstop.

Maybe Stanley would finally be Edith's first friend.

Maybe. 


	3. My Neck, the Feeling of Your Soft Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edith hangs out with Stanley at his place and is finally beginning to find comfort in him.

**The first time Edith Tozier hangs out with Stanley Barber, it's in his basement with Bloodwitch blasting on full volume.**

As the school week went by, Edith and Stanley were practically inseparable.

They walked each other to class and sat around at lunch, eating and cracking jokes and talking shit about their classmates.

All and all, it felt almost natural to be around him.

Even though Stanley was odd and quirky and Edith was short-tempered and sarcastic. They seemed to even each other out somehow.

Stanley was a weirdo and Edith was a trashmouth. Yet their friendship was awesome within only a few days.

We should hang out. Stanley wrote to her on a half sheet of paper, sliding it to her desk beside him as the teenage girl read his chicken scratch writing.

She didn't even think about it before responding in her own sloppy penmanship that seemed like a mixture of printing and cursive. Sure. When & where?

My place, after school? He wrote back and Edith had just finished reading it, shooting him a smile and a quick nod before a voice spoke up.

"Am I interrupting something?" Both of them straightened up when their teacher, Mr. Jones, spoke to them with a frown on his face.

They were both silent for a moment, Edith's hand still clasped around the note. "I mean...kinda?" She sounded polite as she smiled and the strangled noise Stanley emitted next to her sounded like he was trying to suppress his giggles.

Mr. Jones narrowed his eyes just slightly before they casted down on the note in her hand. "I'll be taking that, thank you," he started, about to grab the note but in one swift motion, the curly-haired girl shoved the note in her mouth.

She could hear the quiet snickers of her classmates and a low wheezing sound from the boy beside her, chewing the half sheet of paper for a moment before swallowing it, all while maintaining eye contact with their history teacher.

"I'm sorry, what were you taking again?" She asked innocently, trying to ignore how her new friend started coughing to mask up his laughter.

Mr. Jones really couldn't do anything now, narrowing his eyes again before continuing with the lesson.

At this point, Edith finally looked at Stanley and relished over the fact that he was red-faced with both hands clamped over his mouth so he wouldn't burst out laughing.

She'd make a better comedian than her dad, she bet.

"You ate the note...I can't believe you fucking ate a sheet of fucking paper!" Stanley said to her after class, walking beside her as he started to laugh properly.

"Well, fuck me in the dick with a cactus if I didn't want Jonesy to be reading our private conversation out loud to the class." She said with a soft laugh, adjusting her backpack as she giggled again at the thought of how much Eddie would be freaking out if he found out that she literally ate paper.

The teenage boy beside her blinked a few times. "Fuck you in the _where_ with a _what_?"

She merely shrugged her shoulders up and down. "We gonna head to your place or what?"

He chuckled softly, shaking his head slightly. "Alright, c'mon. I gotta show you Bloodwitch before I literally scream."

Of course Stanley wanted her to listen to Bloodwitch. She hadn't heard the band before but had a hard time to stop laughing when she admitted that she hadn't heard them before because of her new friend's reaction.

"They still sound like the name of some DC villain." She stated, walking beside him as she rolled her eyes.

"It does not, it is an amazing name for a band!" He argued loudly before they made it to their car, unlocking it.

Edith made a choking sound as she tried to swallow down laughter. "Dude...you didn't tell me you drive the Flintstone's car!" She said before she let out a snort and the giggles began coming out.

The taller boy gave her an unamused expression before rolling his eyes and opening the passenger side of the door for her. "And here I am, being a gentleman while the lady bullies him!"

She nudged his shoulder and rolled her eyes as well. "You'll be fine, you big baby." She giggled before sliding inside the car.

It reeked of weed, but she didn't particularly mind it. She never smoked weed before, but the curly-haired girl certainly wasn't opposed to the idea.

Besides, it would make a lot of sense as to why Stanley was so chill.

"You sure this thing isn't gonna break down on us?" Edith asked teasingly after he started the car, giggling when he held up a middle finger without even looking at her.

"Keep talking like that and your ass will be walking home."

"That's cute, you think I care!"

Stanley laughed, starting to drive and drumming his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the music on the radio.

Edith was quiet for a moment, crossing one leg over the other. "So, your parents won't mind me coming over?"

He snorted under his breath. "I haven't seen my mom in years and my dad is only home five days of the month. So he's not home right now." The boy went quiet for a moment, staring straight ahead at the road. "Sometimes I wish he just never bothered coming back."

The teenage girl went quiet as she listened to him, a wave of sympathy and protectiveness washing over her. He was basically on his own. She wanted to question more about his father but found herself resisting. That wasn't her place.

"My mom dipped when I was four years old, sleeping in my room alone, and basically is the cause of my crippling anxiety and abandonment issues." She said out of nowhere, quite bluntly.

Stanley frowned deeply from her words, going quiet. "What a bitch." He finally said, making her giggle and shrug.

"Eh, I'm over it." This technically wasn't a lie. She was over it. But after facing Pennywise, that thing did get in her head. Made her feel alone and like her dad was about to abandon her at any moment.

It made her feel afraid. But because she was afraid, it made her angry. And that along with having a manic episode filled her with uncontrollable and blinding rage.

She felt like a nuclear bomb.

And deep down, she liked it.

"Still. She's a bitch. But hey, at least you have two awesome dads." He pointed out, giving her his signature smile that usually got something inside of her doing backflips.

She giggled, instinctively moving closer to him and nudging her elbow against his lightly. "Yeah, they are pretty rad." She agreed.

And with that, he drove them to his house, their elbows lightly grazing together. Completely normal, of course. Edith got out of the car, cracking a joke about if she closed the door a little too hard that it would completely break off and relished in how he rolled his eyes and flipped her off once again.

For just a brief moment, the banter reminded her of her dad and papa, but she quickly shook the thought away as she walked inside.

"C'mon, my room's in my basement." He spoke, leading her across the house.

"The basement? You're not gonna try and kill me, are you? Because I'll have you know that just because I'm short doesn't mean I won't rip your throat with my bare hands." She retorted casually as she walked close behind him.

He blinked at her, pausing. "Well...that was a visual I didn't need or want. I'm kinda scared but...kinda turned on too." He gave her a little smirk and a wink, making her laugh as she gently shoved his shoulder and they continued walking.

Once they made it to the basement, Edith could tell easily that it was his room.

A small tv, a couch, vinyl records, and—holy shit, VHS tapes—scattered around the room along with different posters nailed to the wall.

Everything about it screamed STANLEY BARBER, even the lingering smell of marijuana in the air.

For some reason, she liked it.

"Dude...this looks like something out of a shitty eighties movie." She stated as she looked around curiously, hearing him snort.

"Okay, the eighties were the best, so don't you dare disrespect it."

"Good god, you sound like my dad!" She giggled as he quickly tugged on her curl, making her slap his arm in retaliation as they both started laughing.

"Okay, okay, c'mon!" Stanley led her to the record player, pulling out one of the vinyls as he placed it in and looked at her. "Now...be prepared to be amazed!" He did jazz hands before he started playing it.

The music started playing, the sound of drums now echoing the basement, and Edith couldn't help but to find herself bobbing her head to the beat as a slow smile made its way to her face.

"Good, right?" The taller boy asked, looking smug and the look grew when she nodded.

She closed her eyes, losing herself in the song as she began swaying her hips and danced slowly by herself.

That was the thing about music. It just grabbed onto Edith, making her practically get possessed by it. That's what she liked about it, to drown in the lyrics or the beat. Even when she wrote her own songs, it was therapeutic to her.

When she finally opened her green eyes as she danced, she caught Stanley's soft brown eyes staring at her, a fond smile tugging on his lips as he tapped his hand against his thigh to the music.

Rather than to make a comment about his staring, the curly-haired girl quickly went over to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer. "Dance with me!" She demanded with a sweet smile, the one that always had her dad giving her whatever she wanted when she was young.

And that's what he did. Already wrapped around her little finger after just a few days of friendship, Stanley started dancing awkwardly to the song, making her laugh and hold his hands and spin them around.

For the first time in a long time, Edith felt completely and utterly comfortable. 


	4. Illuminated in the Light, Bouncing Off the Exit Signs I Missed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edith decides to get high with Stanley for the first time...and has a fun time.

**The first time Edith Tozier gets high with Stanley Barber, it's in his old ass car, the 1978 Ford Fairmont.**

Edith's heard a lot about marijuana. About how it can get you high and shit. But that sometimes they can help deal with anxiety.

And boy was she always anxious.

The only time where she was truly relaxed in public was when she was with her dads. And now Stanley. He naturally had this calming aura around him.

Or maybe because he always smelled like weed and she was getting high by contact.

Either one could've definitely worked in all honesty.

"I wanna get high." Edith said out of nowhere as she sat down in front of Stanley in the cafeteria, dropping her sandwich on the table.

The taller boy paused from his chewing on his burrito, looking confused and a bit startled. "And you're telling me this because...?"

" _No seas tonto_ , I can smell the weed in your car and your shitty attempt to cover it up with cologne." She responded in Spanglish, taking her ham and cheese sandwich from the paper bag.

He blinked in confusion. "What the fuck was the first part?"

"'Don't be a dumbass'." She translated simply, staring down at him. "So, you gonna get me high or do I have to find someone else?"

"No offense Edie, but I am _literally_ the only person you talk to in this school. And I'm pretty sure in general. Besides your dads, of course." He seriously wasn't wrong. He caught on that after only two weeks of friendship, she kept her head down around everyone except him.

Edith's light green eyes narrowed slowly at her best friend, making him fumble over his next words to make sure she didn't snap at him. "I-I just mean, you know, I've never seen you interested in getting high before. Until now."

She didn't say anything for a moment, picking away the crust of her sandwich before sighing loudly. "I have to do an oral presentation tomorrow for English and the thought of it makes me think I'm gonna puke in front of the class mid speech. Maybe if I get high, I can be relaxed enough to present without humiliating myself."

Stanley softened, giving her a reassuring smile before she felt his foot lightly nudge against her leg. "Anxiety does suck. I mean, getting high a few hours before I present usually helps. But some people react differently to smoking weed." He explained. "They get paranoid and shit like that. And I don't think you wanna get even more paranoid while presenting."

She huffed, slouching forward and pressing her cheek against her open palm. "I just wanna be chill enough to present my project but I don't know how. I've tried that meditation shit but I'm too impatient to actually get fully involved."

He chuckled, mimicking her action and putting his cheek on his hand as well. "Look, we can get high after school to see how you do. Is that cool with you?"

She smiled at him, nodding as she tried to contain her excitement. "Sounds good with me, Stanny. Thanks."

The taller boy nodded as well, the two teenagers eating their lunch until—

"I can't believe you called me a dumbass in Spanish."

"Get used to it, _tonto_."

And that's how they ended up in his Flintstone's car, leaning her back against the seat as Edith watched him take out a blunt from a tin container he kept in his pocket.

"Why am I not surprised you keep that shit on you during school?" She asked playfully as Stanley chuckled, giving her a little smirk before taking out his lighter.

"You ready?" He asked her, the girl quickly nodding before putting the blunt between his lips and lighting it up.

She watched him, almost finding herself distracted by the way his curls fell over his forehead as he inhaled deeply and exhaled the smoke.

It was almost pretty how the smoke came out of his pink lips, but she shook the thought away.

He handed the blunt to her and the shorter girl took it between her thumb and first finger. She looked at it for a moment before putting it to her lips and slowly inhaling. She could feel the smoke entering her lungs, slowly exhaling to make sure she didn't cough.

A slow smile made her way to her face, looking at Stan. "That feels nice."

He giggled, nodding in agreement before taking the blunt back and doing another hit. They passed it around like this for a while, Edith's brain going almost foggy and she felt somewhat on cloud nine.

No wonder the government wants this shit to be illegal.

They finished the blunt together, Edith's green eyes closed as she tried to ignore her heart that felt like it was racing in her chest. Other then that, she felt fucking great.

"You good?" Stanley asked her and she kept her eyes closed, not moving until she finally nodded since she forgot how to for a moment.

"Heart's just pounding in my brain. Pretty loud, but I'm good." God, speaking felt so weird now. It didn't feel normal how the words left her tongue.

She then felt a hand over hers, gently squeezing. "Just relax. Take deep breath and just let it happen."

The curly-haired girl took deep breaths, focusing on the hand that held hers. He was warm and soft, slightly calloused. She slowly moved her hand so their fingers were intertwining and it felt like their hands were tingling.

Edith finally opened her eyes, lolling her head to the side to see her best friend staring at her. "This...this feels fuckin' great."

A goofy grin made its way to Stanley's face, the both of them now giggling. "It does feel nice, huh?" She nodded again, the both of them going quiet for a moment and didn't let go of each other's hands.

It was silent until a loud, growling sound that came from the girl's stomach intruded. "Jesus fuck, I'm hungry...but I just ate!"

He started giggling, snorting a few times. "That's the munchies for ya," he explained, "c'mon, let's go to my place. I've got plenty of junk food to help you out."

When Stanley pulled his hand away from hers to start the car, Edith couldn't stop the whine that left her lips, now pouting. He paused, now looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

The curly-haired girl grabbed his hand again. "You're warm. Drive with one hand, coward."

Jesus Christ, did she seriously just say that out loud? Yup, she did, holding onto his hand like she was afraid that he would slip away.

The taller boy laughed softly. "Eeds, this is a stick shift and I'm as high as a kite. I need both hands to drive." He explained, but she just growled under her breath and leaned closer to press her cheek against his shoulder.

She was always a 'cuddle monster', as her daddy so eloquently put it, she craved attention and physical affection. But the girl knew when to refrain at times.

However, all thoughts on stopping and letting the poor boy drive went out the damn window because she suddenly wanted nothing more than to cuddle Stanley Barber.

Dear god, if she was a cuddle monster before, she was a cuddle demon lord now.

"Edie, I am absolutely adoring this aside of you, but I'm getting hungry too and need to binge on junk food. So please, for chips and cookies, let go. I promise we'll cuddle when we get to my place." Stanley compromised with her.

Edith thought about it for a moment before huffing and finally pulling away, releasing her death grip on his hand.

Truly desperate for food, the Barber boy didn't hesitate to start the car up and immediately began driving to his house.

As he drove, the windows were slightly rolled down and her forehead was pressed against it. She could feel the cool air coming in, sticking her tongue out and lifting her head.

"The air tastes purple." She said randomly, causing Stanley to burst out laughing as she started giggling as well.

"You're even more hilarious when you're high. I had no idea that was possible." He told her, looking relaxed as he continued driving.

They were quiet for the rest of the car ride, Edith only speaking random shit that came to her head or just giggle out of nowhere, before they finally pulled up to his house.

The two teenagers were quick to get out of the car, giggling and scrambling to the door in order to get to the food. God, she felt like she hadn't eaten since dinner the night before! They finally made it in, Edith swaying on her feet and staring up at the ceiling as Stanley pulled out half a dozen large bags of chips, barely fitting them all in his arms.

"To the basement!" He spoke, the both of them stumbling and giggling all the way down there.

And then they collapsed on his couch, ripping open bags of chips and munching like ravenous beasts. That is what most teenagers were, anyway.

As they were feasting like this was their final meal and they chose junk food, Edith could feel the urge to be closer to Stanley kick in again. Too high to even resist it, she inched closer until the side of her face was against his chest, a leg draped over his lap as she shoved a handful of Doritos into her mouth.

Stanley looked at her, a bit surprised before laughing softly. "You're like a fucking koala bear!"

"Shut the fuck up, bamboo tree." She deadpanned, making him laugh again before wrapping an arm around her and pulling the shorter girl closer to his chest anyway as he continued binging on chips.

There was something so absolutely comforting about cuddling him. He was practically radiating warmth and he smelled nice. Cologne and weed. Something that probably wouldn't smell good together, but it did to her.

"You have your speech memorized for tomorrow?" Stanley asked her after all of the chips were gone, slowly feeling the high beginning to come down as she fiddled with the soft fabric of his red vest between her fingers and mumbled a quiet 'mmhmm'.

He nodded, twirling one of her wild and unruly curls around his finger, twisting it upward before releasing it as he watched it spring down. "Alright. Let's practice."

And so Edith began her speech, feeling calm and pausing a few times when they were blanks in her memory before picking it back up. By the end, he was smiling down at her so proudly it made her lungs lurch.

"I think you got this. If we get you high about an hour or two before you have to present, you should have this in the bag!" He told her with a big smile, neither of them moving from their cuddling position.

She never realized how much she would like weed..but damnit, the Tozier girl loved it.

She loved the feeling of getting high, even if it turned her into a huge starving and cuddling freak. To feel her anxiety disappear and not worry about if she was freaking her best friend out by how suddenly affectionate she was.

The curly-haired teen moved her head so she was resting her chin on his shoulder and facing him. "Can we smoke again?" She asked and the sly smile that made its way to his face was all the response she needed.

So that's what they did. They smoked and binge ate more chips and chocolate cookies until their stomachs felt like they would burst and played the most random game of Would You Rather ever.

When she was fully sober, she would definitely need to ask him more about his jellyfish obsession later.

But for the first time in so long, she wasn't riddled with nerves. She wasn't anxious and had that tinge of fear that the damn clown was still out there, right behind her, waiting for the exact moment to strike.

Because this time, she was having the time of her life cuddling her friend and getting higher than the Empire State Building.

So she didn't care when she walked home, reeking of weed that was horribly masked with cologne that didn't belong to her, making her papa scold her and demand where she got weed and her daddy laugh and look proud while saying that she was truly a Tozier.

How could Edith care when she finally found something to cope with her anxiety and a new hobby with Stanley?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another book!!   
> I really love this ship so I hope you guys are liking this short book!   
> We’re about halfway through and I’m excited to continue this! If you guys really like this, feel free to leave kudos or comment what you think so far :)


	5. Your Laugh Echoes Down the Highway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edith talks about Stanley with her dads and Stanley drives her to school for the first time.

**The first time Edith Tozier talks to her dads about Stanley Barber, it’s during dinner where they were feasting on pizza.**

Every Thursday night was pizza night.

It was like tradition, almost. Especially since Eddie joined into their little family and wanted them to eat healthier.

Despite how much Edith did despised salads and slipped out in the middle of the night with a flashlight to eat ice cream, she adored their family time.

Her short legs were swinging slightly under the table, her mouth watering at the sight of the pepperoni pizza before her.

She wasn’t kidding when she said that she would kill for food.

The small girl had just taken a huge bite of her slice of pizza when her daddy randomly spoke. “So, what’s their name?”

She paused, chewing before swallowing the bite in her mouth because she knew Eddie would bitch at her for talking with food in her mouth. “What’s whose name?”

“The one that you keep hanging out with and coming home genuinely happy everyday after school. The one that actually brings you out of the house on the weekends, which I didn’t even realize was possible.”

She sighed. “Stanley. Stanley Barber, he lives a few houses down. If he lived farther then that, I wouldn’t even be leaving my house.”

“Another Stanley, huh?” Her dad raised an eyebrow as she just casually shrug his shoulders. “What’s this ‘Stanley Barber’ like?”

“He’s weird.” She didn’t hesitate to respond. “But he’s...nice. Loyal. If I killed someone and needed him to hide the body, I’m about ninety-nine point nine percent sure he’ll do it. He’s odd and quirky but funny. He can make me laugh even when I don’t want to.”

“You seem very close with him.” Her dad said, a knowing smirk on his face that had the teenage girl speaking quickly.

“Yeah, we’re just friends. He doesn’t make me wanna rip off my own hair and his calm crazy evens out my psycho crazy. Just friends.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” This time it was Eddie who spoke up, the same smirk on her face and it made her want to puke.

Edith quickly shook her head. “Seriously. We’re just friends. We’ve only been friends for over a month.”

“Yet you seem comfortable enough to get high with him.” Her papa retorted seriously.

The teenager put her elbows on the table, waving around her slice of pizza she was holding. “Be happy it’s weed. I could be shooting up heroin or snorting cocaine.” She smiled innocently. “Besides, it helps with anxiety. You can google it.”

Eddie shot her dad a look, who merely sighed and shrugged. “Look, I was doing way more shit than what Edie’s doing now. I’m just glad she finally has a friend her age and learned how to use the front door.”

She shot her daddy a thankful smile but rolled her eyes at the last sentence. “I like being in my safe bubble. But I’m willing to expand that bubble for Stanny. He’s chill.”

“Of course.” Her dad said, but she could tell that he meant more than just that. He thought she had a crush on Stanley and she certainly did not. She enjoyed being around him and felt almost comfortable. There were no butterflies in sight. Just relaxation.

It was weird, the teenage Tozier had to admit. She wasn’t used to her dad asking about her friends because she never had any. Friends weren’t her strong suit and not many people could handle her. But Stan was caring and kind, always made sure she was okay and gave her pep talks that made her laugh before she had to present for any of her classes.

But that didn’t mean she liked him. This wasn’t like how her dads fell in love. This was just pure friendship. And it really was nice having a friend.

Except when Stanley called her five minutes before her alarm went off the next morning.

“Your house better be on fire for you to call me while I’m asleep.” Edith grumbled to him right after she picked up, already thrown into a foul mood.

“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Stanley said with a chuckle, already sounding incredibly awake too early in the morning.

“Don’t make me hurt you.” She threatened.

“Jeez, okay, okay, I’m getting to the point!” He said quickly, probably because he feared that she would hang up or march to his house and hurt him just as she threatened. “I was thinking maybe I could drive you to school.”

The Tozier girl yawned loudly, scratching the back of her incredibly messy curly hair before blinking. “You called me...five minutes before my alarm went off...to ask if you could drive me to school?” She spoke slowly.

The other boy must’ve been able to tell that she still sounded annoyed. “Wow, you’re really grumpy in the mornings.”

“That’s because I haven’t had my morning coffee!” She said quickly before sighing loudly and her head hit the pillow. “But you can come pick me up if you want.”

He chuckled softly and she could tell even without seeing him that the Barber boy was smiling his signature smile. “Okay, I’ll pick you up in an hour! See ya soon, Eeds!” He said quickly before hanging up.

The curly-haired girl smiled slightly despite how tired she felt, putting her phone down and closed her eyes. Maybe she could get just a little more sleep...

She jumped, her alarm clock going off before she could fall asleep again.

“MOTHERFU—!”

Even though Edith didn’t get to sleep some more, she felt a lot better after having her morning coffee. Coffee always helped her, no matter what. It was like she always said, “more espresso makes me less depresso!”

Her daddy always thought it was hilarious and agreed while her stepdad called them both caffeine addicts.

“So your new BFF wants to drive you to school?” Her dad asked, an eyebrow raised and holding his own cup of coffee.

“Mmhmm. I’ve driven with him before, he’s a pretty good driver.” She reassured him, quickly finishing off her coffee and stood up from the table to grab her things.

Her dad nodded, not saying anything for a moment before speaking again. “Cool. I wanna meet him.”

Edith’s eyes widened comically. “Nope, gotta go, bye!” She quickly said as she ran out the door, backpack in hand.

It wasn’t that Edith didn’t want her dad to meet Stanley. It was just...this was her first friend and she was pretty sure her dad’s waited to finally embarrass her in front of her friend for years. So she would like to delay this the most she could.

She heard him laugh but he thankfully didn’t follow her as she went outside, spotting Stan’s old ass looking car.

The girl noticed Stan look at her before he began rolling down his windows, painfully slow and squeaking with ever half inch it went down before it finally got halfway.

“Hey.” He said after a moment and Edie snorted.

“Fuck, that was the most painful thing I’ve ever seen!” She said as she laughed, opening the door and sliding in.

Stan flipped her off but was smiling in amusement, starting the car. “Oh, fuck you!” He tried not to laugh and be serious.

“Maybe on your birthday.” She responded with a smirk, laughing more when he started blushing. “Now, put on some music, Barber!”

Stanley finally laughed and nudged Edith’s shoulder with his elbow, turning on Bloodwitch as the both of them began singing along with smiles on their faces.

Yeah, this was the life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After forever, I finally published the third chapter!   
> We are now a little over halfway to the end of the fic and I’m super excited!   
> Please feel free to leave kudos and comment what you think of this story so far, it would mean the world to me!!


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